Wichita eagle., 1887-10-01
Topeka Topics.

TOPEKA, Kan, Sept 30-Superinen
dent of Insurance Wilder today revoked
the authority of the Peoples Mutual Insur
ance company, of Salins, to do business in
this state. based upon the report of the
Hon. James Bilingslea, assistant superin-
tendent of insurance, that the company
was In close relation with the National
Mutual Company, the authority OF which
had been recently revoked, occupying the
same Office and under the management of
the same secretary, and that there was evil
dent unfairness on the part of the company
In making assessments upon premium
notes. The present condition of the
company is attributed, by the examiner, in
a great measure TO the practices criticised
by the examiner of the defunct National
mutual, of doing business through brokers
scattered all over the country whose whole
interest was in securing commissions, aud
not in the welfare of the company with
which they placed their risks, and which
was of such character usually as to be
declined by the best managed companies
The requirements relative to the reserve
fund have not been complied with by the
company. He concludes his report as
follows: "In my opinion, it is hardly
possibly that this company can ever be-
placed on a fair business basis, considering
all the circumstances, and, in my iudg-
ment. the best interests of all concerned
will be best conserved If the affairs are
wound up as eheaply and speedily as pos
sible"
Major Sims, secretary of the state board
of agriculture being asked to give his
opinion relative 10 the benefits 10 be de
rived from the recent experiments in sllk
culture at Peabody, said: so far rs the
experiments are concerned They demon
stfate Conclusively that silk can be pro
duced in this state. The important ques
ton. however, is, can the production of
silk be made paying industry in this
country? In my opinion it can not, I'm
der the present condition Of things, and |
would not advise anyone to Invest any
capital in the business with the expt citation
of realizing q profit Silk can not be,
and is not, manufactured in this country
on paying basis. The reason for this is
that there is no duty on
reeled silk which is produced
in France and other foreign countries,
where labor is cheap, and imported by
American silk manufacturers at very
low price II there should be q heavy
customs duty imposed upon the raw ms
terial, such as would practically prohibit
its importation, then the problem of silk
production might present different as
pect.
Concerning the recent experiments in
sorghum sugar manufacture at Fort Scott,
Major Sims spoke In very enthusiastic
manner. He was confident it would be
some one of the leading industries OF
Western Kansas, which locality was pecu-
liarly adapted 10 the growth of sorghum.
The recent experiments by the Parkin
son company. he said, have demonstra.
ted conclusively that ex Commissioner Of
Agriculture LeDue was by no means Wis
ionsry when he claimed that sugar
would be chesply produced from s0r.
ghum. We have chemist who has been
directed to carefully watch the experiments
now being carried on at Fort Scott. The
department Of agriculture at Washington
also has chemist, aud so has the Parkin.
son company, each of whom will carefully
note the experiments and tt port the results.
Upon the reports Of these three chemists
we expect TO be able TO arrive at the exscl
facts concerning the manufacture of sugar
from sorghum.
The following notarial commissions were
issued today: Robert a Munson, a
Comsnche; J. f. Kerlin, at Russell
Springs; j. d. Merritt. at Iuka, Frank F
Wilcox, at Horace; IL. J. Reeziger, a
Topeka; Oscar F. Harlan, at Hugoton.
The charter Of the Gem City Building
association, of Mullinvllle, capital stocl
COCO, was fled today.